Welding Wheel Electrode Apparatus and Method

Abstract

Embodiments of a wire wrapping system generally include a welding wheel electrode mounted on a support assembly, wherein the support assembly is moveable laterally and vertically to a welding position, and moveable laterally and vertically to a sharpening location where a sharpening mechanism can engage the welding wheel electrode contact surface. Embodiments of a method of sharpening a welding wheel electrode contact surface generally include installing the welding wheel on a support assembly that is moveable laterally and vertically to a welding position, and moveable laterally and vertically to a fixed sharpening location, installing a sharpening mechanism, manipulating the support assembly to move the welding wheel electrode to the sharpening location where the sharpening mechanism engages the welding wheel electrode contact surface, rotating the welding wheel electrode in relation to the sharpening mechanism, and laterally adjusting the support system to allow uniform sharpening of the welding wheel electrode contact surface.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A welding wheel apparatus for a wire wrapping system, comprising:
 a welding wheel electrode comprising a contact surface; and   a sharpening mechanism;
 wherein said welding wheel apparatus is adapted to provide said welding wheel electrode contact surface in a sharpening location; and 
 wherein said sharpening mechanism is adapted to engage said welding wheel electrode contact surface provided in said sharpening location. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said welding wheel electrode is mounted on a support assembly adapted to move said welding wheel electrode to a welding position. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said welding wheel apparatus is adapted to provide said welding wheel electrode contact surface in said sharpening location by at least one movement selected from the group consisting of:
 movement of said welding wheel electrode; and   movement of said sharpening mechanism.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of said movement of said welding wheel electrode and said movement of said sharpening mechanism comprises movement in a direction selected from the group consisting of:
 lateral;   vertical; and   both lateral and vertical.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising at least one linear actuator adapted to produce at least one of said movement of said welding wheel electrode and said movement of said sharpening mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is adapted to rotate said welding wheel electrode when said sharpening mechanism is in engagement with said welding wheel electrode contact surface. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said sharpening mechanism comprises a sharpening blade. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said sharpening blade comprises a sharpening tip. 
     
     
         9 . A welding wheel apparatus for a wire wrapping system, comprising:
 a welding wheel electrode comprising a contact surface;
 wherein said welding wheel electrode is mounted on a support assembly adapted to move said welding wheel electrode to a welding position; and 
   a sharpening blade;
 wherein said support assembly is adapted to move said welding wheel electrode contact surface to a sharpening location; and 
 wherein said sharpening blade is adapted to engage said welding wheel electrode contact surface moved to said sharpening location. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said support assembly is adapted to move said welding wheel electrode contact surface to said sharpening location in a direction selected from the group consisting of:
 laterally;   vertically; and   both laterally and vertically.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , comprising at least one linear actuator adapted to produce at least one movement selected from the group consisting of:
 movement of said welding wheel electrode to said welding position;   movement of said welding wheel electrode contact surface to said sharpening location; and   both movement of said welding wheel electrode to said welding position and movement of said welding wheel electrode contact surface to said sharpening location.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said apparatus is adapted to rotate said welding wheel electrode when said sharpening blade is in engagement with said welding wheel electrode contact surface. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said sharpening blade comprises a sharpening tip. 
     
     
         14 . A method of sharpening a welding wheel apparatus welding wheel electrode contact surface, comprising:
 providing said welding wheel electrode, attached to said welding wheel apparatus, in a welding position;   providing said welding wheel electrode contact surface in a sharpening location, without detaching said welding wheel electrode from said welding wheel apparatus;   providing a sharpening mechanism; and   engaging said sharpening mechanism with said welding wheel electrode contact surface provided in said sharpening location.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said providing said welding wheel electrode contact surface in said sharpening location comprises moving at least one component selected from the group consisting of:
 said welding wheel electrode; and   said sharpening mechanism.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said moving at least one of said welding wheel electrode and said moving said sharpening mechanism comprises movement in a direction selected from the group consisting of:
 lateral;   vertical; and   both lateral and vertical.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said moving at least one of said welding wheel electrode and said moving said sharpening mechanism comprises utilizing at least one linear actuator. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said moving said welding wheel electrode comprises moving a support assembly of said welding wheel apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising rotating said welding wheel electrode when said sharpening mechanism is in engagement with said welding wheel electrode contact surface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said sharpening mechanism comprises a sharpening blade.